ST. MARYS, Pa. (EYT/D9) – Survive and advance.
That’s just what the Elk County Catholic boys basketball team was able to accomplish in the first round of the PIAA Class A playoffs at home Tuesday night against Rochester.
ECC’s defense came up with a huge late stop and Jordan Wasko scored 13 points to lead the Crusaders to a 49-47 win over District 7’s fifth-place team.
Michael Jacobs pitched in 12 points, Charlie Breindel 10 and Luke Jansen eight for Elk County Catholic, who will face District 10 champ Farrell on Friday.
J.D. Azulay led Rochester with 20 points.
DuBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 70, CONEMAUGH VALLEY 50 – Alec Srock scored 27 points – 20 coming in the first half – as the Cardinals pulled away in the second half to move on to the second round in the PIAA postseason.
Conemaugh Valley got as close as 45-41 in the third quarter before DCC was able to get some separation.
Andrew Green added 12 for the Cardinals, who will play WPIAL champion Bishop Canevin Friday.
BISHOP CARROLL 57, NORTH CLARION 19 – Collin Schmader scored eight points, but the Wolves’ offense was stymied by the District 6 champions.
North Clarion trailed 22-6 after the first quarter and 34-10 at the half.
GIRLS
Alex Leadbetter and Kendall Dunn each scored 13 points and Clarion-Limestone hung with two-loss Serra Catholic for a time before falling, 52-37, in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs.
The Lions were down by just a basket at the end of the first quarter, 14-12, but Serra Catholic went on a run to widen the lead to 28-16 at the half.
The lead swelled to 41-25 by the beginning of the fourth.
Frances Milliron added eight points for Clarion-Limestone.
CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS 54, BROCKWAY 36 – Danielle Wood scored 18 points, but the Rovers couldn’t overcome a slow start on their home floor.
Brockway trailed 20-9 before fighting back to cut the lead down to six. That was as close as the Rovers could get.
Selena Buttery pitched in eight points for Brockway, the District 9 Class 2A champions.
Despite the loss, it was a season of milestones for Brockway.
It was the first district title for the Rovers in 50 years of girls basketball at the school.
Wood eclipsed 1,000 career points and also set Brockway’s career assists record.
Buttery notched 1,000 career points as well, and also went over 1,000 rebounds in her time as a Rover.
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